The present exemplary embodiment relates to electric motors. It finds particular application in conjunction with the assembly of electric motors having one or more thermostats, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiment is also amenable to other like applications.
During the assembly of an electric motor, a stator assembly is often first mounted into a housing and secured therein with a suitable potting material. In some motor assemblies, there are one or more thermostats that are mounted next to individual windings of the stator. Such thermostats monitor stator winding temperatures and send a signal to a motor controller or other device configured to cut electrical power supplied to the motor in the event of an over-temperature condition.
Each thermostat typically is held or clamped in position during the potting process to ensure that it remains in its proper position until the potting material is cured. Current approaches include utilizing a steel tool that is fastened to a potting plug (a temporary component inserted into the center of the stator during potting). The tool has adjustable arms that are configured to hold one or more thermostats in place during the potting process. After the potting process is complete, the tool is removed and then reused for assembling another electric motor.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art thermostat clamp that generally includes a Y-shaped component 10 mounted at its center to a casting plug 12 with a screw 14. The Y-shaped component supports three clamp elements 16 at distal ends of each individual arm of the component 10. The clamp elements 16 can be adjusted to clamp individual thermostats 18 in place on individual coils 20 of a stator 22. It will be appreciated that, in use, the prior art clamp is generally first mounted to the casting plug 12 with the screw 14 and then the thermostats 18 are positioned beneath the clamping elements 16 which are then tightened to secure the thermostats 18 in position on respective windings 20. Potting material (not shown) is then poured into the space between the casting plug 12 and a motor housing 24 in which the stator 22 and thermostats 18 are located.
As can be appreciated, positioning the individual elements and thermostats is difficult and once the potting process is complete, the clamp needs to be removed from the motor assembly prior to assembly of further motor components. Such tooling is cumbersome, breaks frequently, and does not always hold the thermostat in a correct position during potting. In addition, the tooling can limit access to the windings during the potting process making it more difficult for the potting material to be poured into the stator cavity.